Official Luthiers Forum!

With all the great inlay work having been posted here over the last week or so – its with some reluctance I post this. I managed to get most of this done while on vacation sitting a lovely central Ontario lake.

I got the idea for this inlay a couple of years ago while visiting the Glasgow School of Art in bonnie Scotland. The artist who originally did this piece was a fellow by the name of Charles Rennie Mackintosh who came into fame in the early 20th century. The piece has many names the more popular is “Lady Kissing a Rose”. Mackintosh is one of my wife’s favorite artists of the period – so this one is for Tricia!

In all there are 22 pieces of pearl. The Rose is done in Pink MOP and Red Abalone. The body in white MOP with face and arm done in Gold MOP. Accents were done in Paua. I’ve only got it sanded to 220 grit thus far.   

Any thoughts on whether I should grave and fill with black ink between the various pieces of the rose? Or would this contrast the rose to much with the woman?

No worries as to whether you like the piece or this type of art as my youngest daughter asked if it was meant to be a porpoise.

I like it.
I'm thinking of trying some inlay work myself. I'm practicing on various types of wood before I buy MOP.
It is a nice job you did Anthony.
Jeff

wow, you proved i have no imagination,, not what i had pictured when i opened the thread, but instantly i said man thats cool, i really like it.. The worksmanship looks great also.. Nice job... can you paste a pic into paint on your pc and then draw in the lines to see what it will look like.
and of course it isn't a dolphin, the ball would be on its nose
mikemikev38915.9029050926

Anthony, I'm thinkin' praying mantis.
Like Mike, I had a different mental picture from your subject line.
I think your inlay looks fine, and some ink lines in the rose would look good.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Here's another that Hesh touched up. Thanks Hesh!

Very creative mind you have Anthony, this is very pretty and elegant abstract art, Tricia will just love it ! Gorgeous headstock too!

Serge

Anthony- that looks really cool.

I normally engrave lines between almost all the pieces in my inlays. It adds contrast, makes the eye's not see the lines,(like a cartoon drawn image- it just becomes part of the picture0. However on this piece with all of it's geometric interplay going on it seems cool to leave the edges natural. Defining anything too much might make it look off balance.
Plus, the woman is really cut tight, the rose a little looser. Whether or not this was planned, it seperates the mood of the two different areas.
Maybe engrave the pieces/lines between her, and let the rose stay the way it is? Just make the lines thin and clean, not wide at all. Almost no line.

Hope this makes sense.
Craig Lavin
www.handcraftinlay.com
clavin38916.0024305556

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www.handcraftinlay.com

Nice work AZ - nothing like getting a little inlaying done while on holidays !!! I am planning to bring none of that when we head up next month. Last year I took some stuff out to the coast and cut about 25 logos. Enough already !!!

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Thanks gents for the kind comments and suggestions!

Craig you are right – the photos really highlight the “tightness” of the lady versus the looser fit of the rose pieces. In retrospect I should have laminated it together with dyed epoxy rather than clear CA. The contrast isn’t so apparent when you see the piece in person.

I’m not quite sure what you meant about “Maybe engrave the pieces/lines between her, and let the rose stay the way it is? Just make the lines thin and clean, not wide at all. Almost no line.”   I added a line in Paint (thanks Mike for the suggestion)….is this what you meant in terms of location for the additional light engraving?

What I meant was a line between every single joint line in the girl- between the head, the base, etc.. everywhere pieces meet. The arms, etc..
Then leave the rest alone.
Using the computer lines really throws off the image. It's not subtle at all! I mean much thinner.

Craigclavin38916.6309143519

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www.handcraftinlay.com

Very Renee McIntosh!!!!!

Very nice Anthony. I like it the way it is... I'll echo Hesh, very stylized... Tres cool, mon ami!

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

I think Mackintosh designed some famous Arts & Crafts period furniture and your inlay has a real Arts & Crafts feel to it. Marvellous.

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

Craig -- many thanks -- I really appreciate your critical eye and input!

I get it now.    That combined with your previous post - I understand the balance between the lady and the rose that you explained.

I am going to run your thoughts past my wife. She originally stopped me from engraving around the pieces of the rose for the reasons you explained above. She was a really big help on this one in terms of providing really good input on the size and orientation of the piece on the headstock.

Given that I make archtop headstocks big enough to paddle a canoe -- it sure provides a relatively big canvas to work with.

Sam/Steve looks like you fellows are familiar with Mackintosh. He was way ahead of his time. A lot of the furniture he designed about 100 years ago looks very modern even by todays standards. In Glasgow you can tour a house that contains his art work and furniture -- it's well worth the visit if you get the chance.Anthony Z38916.6768171296